Container with opening equipment



M. E. RAUBER ET AL CONTAINER WITH OPENING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 17. 1931 Oct. 11, 1932.

Mar; CZ Q e L Rage/ S lllllllllllllllllllllll Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFKIE MARGARET E. BAUBER AND CLYDE L. ROGERS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

CONTADSI'EB WITH OPENING EQUIPMENT Application filed August 17, 1931. Serial No. 557,680.

This invention relates to containers or packages, and more particularly to a container producedof one piece of flexible material folded into a generally rectangular form of 15 the type commonly used for containing packs of twenty cigarettes.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a container of this type equipped with provisions whereby a restricted portion of the top thereof may be removed to expose an area sufiicient for the removal of the individual cigarettes without the need of mutilating any of the cigarettes or of destroying the major portion of the package top. A further object is to provide a container having the opening provision stated, that is adapted V to be sealed by a revenue stamp or like ad hesive element against casual or premature opening. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the ac companying drawing, and the distinctive features of novelty will be thereafter pointed 95 out in appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container, shown as an ordinary cigarette package equipped with the invention.

Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the same package opened for use.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the blank employed in producing the container of the invention.

Figure 3a is a fragmentary perspective showing of a modified form of blank.

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view illustrating a preliminary step in the folding of the blank to produce the improved container, and

Figure 5 is a similar partial perspective showing a further intermediate step in the folding of the blank.

In the practice of our invention we preferably use a blank 10 of the same plain rectangular shape and dimension as is now commonly in use,this blank being produced of any suitable material such as the composite foil and pa er stock currently in use. It is to be understood that where the term plain rectangular blank is used in the following description and claims, we mean a blank of generally rectangular shape without extendin tabs or other projections or additions to t e rectangular contour, so far as the same may be concerned with the present invention or with the provision for opening the package. In carrying out our invention we produce slits a, b, in this blank extending diagonally outward preferably at about a 45 angle from the intersection of the folding lines 11, 12 and the folding line 13 of the top folds, the folding lines 11, 12 defining one end 141- of the package. The blank is folded generally in usual manner to produce the package 15. It will be noted that by virtue of the slits a, b, one end fold 16 is left free of the side folds 17, 18 and has the oppositely projecting tabs 16a, 166. In accordance with our invention this fold 16 is first pressed inward over the top of the package and in this operation the fiaptabs 16a, 166 will be located along side of the end portions of the side folds 17, 18 and will project outward from the cut-away portions 17a, 18a thereof.

For ,this operation it is contemplated that the folding slide or like instrumentality, that engages and presses down the fold 16, will be somewhat less in width than the width of the package in accordance with usual practice. The corners X so produced in this fold thus lie spaced inward from the sides of the package. This leaves a surplus of material in the turned-up extremities of the fold 16, which will result in providing flap tabs 16a, 16b, projecting outward from the portions 17 a, 18a, to a substantial extent as shown. Should a folder element be used that approximates in width more closely the width of the package so as to press the corners of the fold 16 closely against the package sides, it would of course be necessary to produce the slits, a, b, at an angle to the lines 11, 12 somewhat greater than forty- 95 five degrees. In general it will be understood that the character of projection and extent of the tab projections 16a, 166, can

be modified to a considerable extent by the selection of folder elements of greater or less 100 width and otherwise selected dimension to act on and press down the fold 16. The other end fold 19 and the side folds 17, 18 are then subjected successively to the folding opera tion in usual manner. This will leave the last folded one of the flap tabs 166 free and projecting some little distance from the cutaway edge 18a of the fold 18. This tab 16?) may then be folded back over the fold 18 as indicated at 160,- Fig. 1. The extremity of this tab may be caught under the revenue stamp 20 as indicated at 20a.

It may now be understood that with the package or container so produced it is possible merely by taking hold of the tab 160 with the thumb and finger to pull out the fold 16 as indicated in Fig. 2 without disturbing the rest of the package top and leaving an opening exposing the cigarettes, approximately in the form of a right angle triangle of which the package end is the hypothenuse. 'While this opening operation does not mutilate-the package materially nor in any wise disturb the cigarettes, the pulling of the tab away from the revenue stamp and the drawing out of the fold; 16 will mutilate it to an extent so that it is not feasible to use the package again.

In Figure 3a, a slightly modified form of the invention is shownwherein a slit 6 is produced at one side instead of both sides of the end-portion 14 of the package wrapper 15'. This will leave only one tab free to project from the adjacent side fold of the container, but is sufficient to permit pulling out of the end fold in the way already described requiring, however, somewhat more tearing of the wrapper than is the case in the first described form.

We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and we therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all" respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.-A plain rectangular blank of flexible Jmateria l folded to produce a container of generally rectangular form, said blank having a severance line extending from the 10- cality of intersection of lines defining lateral and top corners of the container diagonally upwardandaway from such lateral cornerdefining line in a direction so that upon folding of the top end fold bounded at one side by such severance line and the pressing down of the top side folds, a projecting tab is produced for the purpose stated. I

2. A container produced from a plain rectangular blank of flexible wrapper material with the top folding portion which extends above one end portion of the container slitted diagonally upward and outward from the 10- cality of intersection of lines defining lateral and top corners of the container, in a direction to produce a tab lying against and proj ccting from the adjacent side fold when said blank is folded about'the contents of the container.

3. A package produced from a plain rectangular blank of flexible material with the top folding portion which extends over one end portion of the container slitted diagonal- 1y upward and outward from the locality of intersection of lines defining lateral and top corners of the package, in a direction to produce a tab lying against and projecting from the adjacent side fold, the projecting portion (ffikslaid tab being folded back over said side 4. A container of generally rectangular form composed of a plain rectangular blank of flexible material .with the top thereof closed by side and end folds, one of said end folds being separated from a side fold along a diagonal line produced by a slit in the package side extending upward and toward the other end of the package in a direction to define a tabon said end fold adapted to proj ect outward from ,the top side fold when the top side fold is pressed down upon the contents, whereby said end fold may be pulled out and a triangular opening of substantial dimension provided at one end of the container. 5. A container of generally rectangular form composed of a plain rectangular blank of flexible material with the top thereof closed by side and end folds, one of said end folds being separated from a side fold along a severance line in the top side fold portion of the package side, said severance line extending ina direction to define a tab of substantial dimension on the said end fold adapted to projectcoutward from the top side fold when the top side fold is pressed down upon the contents whereby said tab 1 ay be grasped to pull out said end fold and rovide an opening of substantial dimension at one endof the container.

6. A container produced of a plain rectangular blank of flexible material with its top formed of side folds and end folds, one

of said end folds being separated from the side folds by severance lines in the top side folds of the package sides, such severance lines extending in a direction to define tabs on said end folds adapted to'project outward to a substantial extent from the top side folds.

said tab is adapted to be caught under an adhesively applied revenue stamp, or the like.

izo

7. A plain rectangular blank of flexible material folded to produce a container of generally rectangular form, said blank having a severance line extendin from intersection of linesvde g lateral and to corners of the container diagonally upwarg and away from such lateral corner-defining line at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees thereto, whereby upon folding of the top end-fold bounded at one side by such severance line and the pressing down of the top side folds, a projecting tab is produced.

witness whereof we have alfixed our names to this specification.

-MARGARET E. RAUBER. CLYDE L. ROGERS.

the locality of 

